Balance. That is the angel card I picked for this week, as I am juggling many balls: my parents visiting for my cousin’s wedding; taking care of boys and household chores; cooking vegan meals, giving Reiki sessions, writing blog articles, doing spiritual practices… and so on! I am continually amazed at how I pick the perfect card each week. (Angel cards, by Kathy Tyler and Joy Drake, Narada Productions, Inc., Milwaukee, WI, 1981.)

Tuning into the perfection of the Universe is a good practice when one is trying to balance so many things. However, even though in the big picture I ‘get’ that everything is happening perfectly, there are so many things occurring on Earth that don’t seem so perfect. For example, a few days ago, while I was buying pink nailpolish to wear on my toenails to the wedding, a fire was raging near the store and several Ashland homes caught on fire that night. And in the news they were saying that the flood situation in Pakistan is worse than the Haiti earthquake. And somehow I’m supposed to just keep enjoying my life, when so many people are suffering? How to balance the feelings of despair and compassion with the need to just keep doing our own lives, where-ever we are? I understand that giving in to despair won’t help anyone, and that by continuing to evolve myself through spiritual practices, I can help others by radiating Love out in all directions… but it’s still sometimes difficult to embrace this beautiful life I’m in, while others are suffering.

Somehow I continue to – more or less – keep it all in balance. Sometimes I do forget things though… Like last week, when my dear friend Thomas and I took another evening picnic up to Mt. Ashland, I forgot the plates and forks! We laughed heartily as we ate the delicious vegan meal on the lids, using the big serving spoons as utensils. But again, in the big scheme of things, when almost one billion people are starving on the planet, it doesn’t really matter that I forgot the plates and forks. With humility, I offer incredible gratitude for all of the blessings and abundance in my simple, yet joyous, yogini life.

May all beings everywhere have food to eat each day. May all beings know Peace and Happiness.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

Photo of Teja by Thomas Stekkinger. Photo of vegan sunset picnic on Mt. Ashland by Teja Shankara.